This is a post with some ideas that have been bouncing around in my head about things we can do to optimize our state of mind for competitions, by optimizing our body. As I don’t plan to compete, I decided to share them so they might possibly benefit others that do plan to compete. First things first: don’t ever try these things for the first time DURING competition. Always do a test(or several) to see what works best, at what timing, and how much of an improvement it gives.

Also, this is obviously only for those on the elite level(except for juicing, that’s for everyone), and should only be used after optimizing the big three areas, sleep, eating, exercise.

And of course, the standard warning: Don’t try this at home, if you try anything make sure it’s under the supervision of a qualified physician, if you don’t consult a physician you may die… Make sure to research everything thoroughly

1. Juicing. No, not steroids, but juicing fruits and vegetables to extract most of their nutrients in a concentrated form. Juicing is a very efficient way of getting your fruits and vegetables into your system. Some have compared it to basically injecting nutrients straight into your veins. Because the juice is so concentrated, and there is no fiber and such, it’s basically optimized for absorption by your body. You can supercharge your body with nutrients.

Only small drawback is that it costs a couple hundred dollars for a good juicer, but it’s an investment in your health. I have no doubt it would increase performance. If you go on a juice fast(3-7 days), you will feel worse for the first day, but after that you start feeling amazing. I forget the exact term, but basically, all the toxins leaving your body are causing you to feel bad. If you wish, experiment, see if it works, when it works best, etc.

Also, always try to “juice the rainbow”, as different colors allegedly represent different antioxidants.

2. Fasting. After around 20 hours of not eating(for me), I have an extremely clear state of mind, which some justify as your body not having to focus on digestion, and can just focus on performance. Here is an interesting article. Sadly, this cannot be combined with #1(well, unless your last meal is a huge home-made juice out of a rainbow of colored vegetables, which actually sounds fantastic).

The “after-lunch slump” could also be avoided by simply restricting carbohydrates.

3. Pre-memorization routine. Establish a rigorous routine before memorization to help prepare your mind-body for memorization. I personally have found this useful for working out; having the exact same routine(ie: first stretch lower body, then upper, then do body-squats, then pull-ups, etc) works very well for getting into the right mindset. If you’re distracted, nervous, etc, you will usually stop if you have a routine, because that routine is such a deep trench in your mind, such a powerful nerve pathway, that it’s very difficult to not go down it once you start.

4. Supplements. I usually discourage supplements for memory, but if you’re planning on competing, they can be beneficial. First thing; make sure they all work on different neural pathways, or by different mechanisms. Each mechanism usually has a ceiling to which it can be improved, after which it’s either negative to improve it, or nothing changes. So, if one supplement is a stimulant, you want to learn the optimal amount of it to take for best improvements, and you don’t want to take another stimulant with it. Some other pathways to consider; Increased blood flow to the brain, increased glucose content in blood, increased nutrient absorption in the brain efficiency, more oxygen in blood, increased neuroplasticity, etc.

I would definitely recommend 1) fish oil or just eat a lot a fatty fish, 2) vit D or get a lot of sunlight 3) gingkgo biloba and 4) creatine. But definitely the first 2 should be part of the diet/lifestyle just for health purposes!

Bateman, I shouldn’t talk about toxins in that context, that’s pseudoscience.

Yeah, slipped my mind Metivier. Don’t try this at home, if you try anything make sure it’s under the supervision of a qualified physician, if you don’t consult a physician you may die… I sometimes forget that the general public is very averse to self-experimentation, the people I usually spend time with are very open to it…

Yes, HannieV, I am aware of that.

Pretty difficult to know which fish oil is spoiled or not, make sure to get the very best. Fermented cod liver oil is good I’ve heard. Also watch out for fish with heavy metals in them like tuna.

Cod liver oil will also contain vitamin D.

Yep.

Yep, I actually take it all the time, it makes your cells slightly larger due to more of the secondary source of energy creatinine. There are some alleged cognitive benefits too, along with increasing strength(which is pretty well documented). Very cheap too, 8$ for 100 days supply…

I used to do a lot of juicing, and I would like to get back into it. When I start again, I’m going to blend up the entire vegetables/fruits and drink them without getting rid of the fiber. It appears that fiber may slow the absorption of sugars. Example: from what I’ve read, carrot juice has a higher glycemic index than soda.

The last time I was juicing, I only drank very small portions. Here’s a picture of the glass size – just a couple of ounces.

Be careful with ginkgo – recent studies suggest that it doesn’t help with memory and may be carcinogenic.

...scientists released the first government toxicology study of ginkgo biloba, which found that the extract — one of the top-selling herbal supplements in the country — caused cancer in lab animals, including an excessive number of liver and thyroid cancers, as well as nasal tumors.

The findings were somewhat surprising because ginkgo biloba has had a long and apparently benign history of human use. Although it has been associated with bleeding and cerebral hemorrhages in the elderly, there have generally been few reports of serious side effects.

The results of the study do not confirm that ginkgo biloba is dangerous to humans, but it is disturbing that the laboratory animals all tended to suffer the same sorts of injuries, said Cynthia Rider of the National Toxicology Program and the lead scientist of the ginkgo biloba study.

I was kind of disappointed by that, because I wanted to use a ginkgo leaf for the website’s logo.